Chapter 15: Tasks and Merits
Although it had only been a little over a day since they last logged in, the three of them were itching to play, feeling like each day was as long as a year.
With such a great gaming helmet at hand, not being allowed to log in felt like having ants crawling all over their bodies.
Finally, the esteemed game designer Sentinel gave them the opportunity to log in again!
The three of them still remembered Sentinel's instructions on the forum.
"After you log in, your main task is to test the current stage functions, assist the base NPCs in the initial construction of the disaster sites, and pay attention to any bugs during the game. If you find any, give feedback to me as soon as possible. Our game team values your testing very much!"
The three of them were instantly filled with a sense of responsibility!
This feeling of trust was intoxicating. The thought of being a beta tester for such a great game was even more satisfying than spending 600 yuan to help a underdressed and underfed young lady on the side of the road.
But!
African Thin Dog never expected that!
Ghost Face Fox, who had the biggest psychological barrier to flattering NPCs yesterday, was doing it so well today!
African Thin Dog roared in his heart: Don't you have any backbone as the owner of the Diablo 3 bar anymore!
Pa!
He knelt down on one knee.
"I'm the same, respected lord!"
Lin Tang followed suit and knelt down directly with his two good brothers. If a few more incense sticks were inserted, they could form a classic Three Kingdoms Kill card.
Cheng Shaofeng was originally quite serious.
Being messed with by the three players, he almost couldn't hold it in.
"Ahem! Stand up, all of you! Disaster soldiers don't need to kneel to anyone. In the future, just salute me with a fist!"
Cheng Shaofeng raised his left hand, clenched his fist, and tapped it twice on his right chest as a demonstration.
The three of them stood up and imitated him, just like real soldiers.
Cheng Shaofeng: "Soldiers, there are indeed tasks for you from the base today."
The three of them's eyes lit up!
Here it comes! The task is here!
"Our base needs a safe and comfortable environment. The new settlement is too crude. Your task is to use tools to clear the 20-meter area around the base and build 4 simple shelters."
After Cheng Shaofeng finished speaking, the three of them's wrist watches simultaneously received a notification.
[Main Quest: Build Simple Shelters]
[Complete the cleaning and construction work according to the lord's requirements. Upon completion, each person can obtain 1 jin of beans (food) and 100 merit points.]
Ghost Face Fox: "We guarantee to complete the task!"
The other two who were a beat slower: "I'm the same!"
The players could see on their wrist watches the content edited by Cheng Shaofeng using the base's [Information Editor], issued in the form of a task.
Cheng Shaofeng had bought several axes and iron hoes in the town yesterday and distributed them to them.
These base supplies had used up all his money, not a penny left.
Next, he must earn back double the supplies from these three people.
After receiving the task, the three of them rubbed their hands and lingered, looking at Cheng Shaofeng with expectant faces.
Cheng Shaofeng understood after a little thought.
"The day before yesterday, you successfully completed your trial mission. The reward is 200 merit points for each person. Soldier African Thin Dog captured a radiation energy stone, making an outstanding contribution to the base's energy replenishment, and is rewarded an additional 200 merit points."
As Cheng Shaofeng finished speaking, the three's wrist watches lit up again at the same time.
[Notification: Disaster Base Merit Points +200]
African Thin Dog got an extra 400.
Only then did the three happily go to work.
Cheng Shaofeng walked out of the base and looked around.
Last night, he heard the voices of the Ravagers. There might be wandering Ravagers nearby. He must be on alert in advance.
African Thin Dog clicked on his wrist watch, gleefully looking at the 400 Disaster Base merit points displayed on it, grinning from ear to ear.
Ghost Face Fox: "Thin Dog, do you know how to use these merit points?"
"I don't know."
"Then why are you so happy?"
"Nevermind what they're used for. With my years of gaming experience, as long as it's a point-based system, hoarding them is definitely the right move! You'll see, after the public beta, we'll be way ahead of other players with these merit points!"
Lin Tang nodded in agreement: "Indeed. So let's hurry up and do the task to get the next 100 merit points!"
"Alright!"
The three of them took their axes and went at the trees, full of energy.
It's hard to imagine that these three, who are usually too lazy to even wash their bowls at home and want someone to hold them up when going to the toilet,
are now living a primitive life of logging and building houses, and doing it gleefully.
"Hey! Look at these wood chips. Tsk! Amazing! Just like the real thing!"
"I can even smell the difference between the wood's outer surface and when it's chopped. The game production team is really detailed."
"This is just the surface! Look at the physics engine! Simply from logging, you can tell that the physics engine of this game is definitely a new era product. The trees will have different collision experiences based on where I chop with my axe. Look, look! It even gets the axe stuck! Such a powerful physics engine has already surpassed all the games we've seen before. I feel like only a true AI game system can achieve this."
"Awesome! Even logging is so realistic. I feel like I could chop for a whole day!"
The three of them were engrossed in discussing the details of "Doomsday OL", exclaiming with each discovery.
After working for two hours, the novelty wore off.
Ghost Face Fox began to think about other things.
"Actually, this is also a guiding quest, helping us understand another aspect of this game: the farming attribute."
"The reward the lord just gave us is very interesting. 1 jin of beans, sounds like food or seeds. Whichever it is, it represents that this game isn't like the Diablo-type games we play where it's all about killing monsters and grinding. There are also certain farming elements. We can use such a realistic physics engine and the materials all over the mountains to build whatever structures we want."
"We can also engage in planting, animal husbandry, cooking, eating... It seems this game has grand ambitions, with such solid content, just to satisfy the needs of different players. I boldly predict! In the future, players will inevitably be divided into life and combat professions, and naturally also into casual and hardcore players."
Ghost Face Fox had the strongest insights about games among the three.
He could infer what might happen based on minimal clues.
African Thin Dog: "Ghost Face Fox is awesome! You've seen through this game!"
Lin Tang: "With Fox Bro's knowledge, it's a shame not to make mods together with me."
"Hey! What are those three big machines for? I didn't see them last time I was here. They look very sci-fi."
"I feel like we'll know once we finish this task."
The few of them happily worked while deducing the game's mechanisms. After 5 hours, they cleared a large area and built 4 crude huts near the mountain rocks using wood.
Although they looked a bit ugly, they could barely block some wind and rain.
No way around it, this was the limit of their craftsmanship. Knowing to use vines to tie the wood together and secure it to the ground was already the most they could do.
After finishing, the three of them were drenched in sweat from exhaustion.
African Thin Dog wiped his forehead and sighed: "This game is really hardcore. I can even feel myself getting hungry!"
"Me too."
"I hope the beans from the task reward are edible."
Cheng Shaofeng had gone out for a big round and came back, bringing a few green fruits in his hands.
Out of scavenger's instinct, he definitely couldn't return empty-handed when going out.
After returning, Cheng Shaofeng frowned.
He first distributed the merit point rewards to the three eagerly waiting people, then threw each of them a small bag of beans.
Then he said solemnly: "We now have simple shelters, but the survival crisis still plagues us. The day before yesterday, we disturbed a Ravager camp and took away the radiation source that evolved and strengthened their tribe. Just now, I discovered that they are searching for us in the four mountain areas. Danger may come knocking at any time."
"Soldiers, after you finish eating, there are some important tasks for you."
There will be another chapter later~
(End of chapter)
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